Common Questions

 

What is Home Tutoring Business?

HTB is a one-stop shop for establishing a lucrative one-on-one in-home tutoring referral business in your community. The owner of the business becomes a matchmaker, or broker, matching qualified tutors and teachers with children in need of individualized tutoring. You choose your own company name and HTB provides you with all the tools you need to get started and quickly grow your business.

Do I need to have any kind of teaching experience in order to be successful?

Absolutely not! You will be contracting the teachers and tutors, who are experts in their field. As an HTB owner you will be managing the day-to-day operations of interviewing tutors and advertising and marketing your services. You are the broker, making the perfect match for a family.

How does an HTB earn income?

Revenue is earned by splitting the fee for tutoring services with your tutors and teachers. The more hours you bill, the more income you will make. The potential for making money is virtually only limited to the amount of students for which you are willing to provide tutors.

What kind of skills do I need to successfully own my own HTB?

We have found the most successful people are those that can organize and manage their time effectively. The ability to relate to parents and their children’s needs is extremely important. A sales and marketing background is not a necessity, but it is helpful in getting your message out to your community about the unique service you are offering. Even if you have no prior business experience though, our package gives you all the tools and training you need to open a business that is profitable and caters to parents that are concerned about their children’s education.

I am a private tutor with just a few students and want to expand my business – how could buying an HTB benefit me?

If you are a private tutor, HTB is a wonderful opportunity for you to increase the number of students you can service. We teach you how to market yourself and contract with tutors who would work with you. As your tutor network expands, the number of students your company can tutor grows. You can choose our package that includes a personalized website and customized Accounting Software. You can use your existing company name if you have one, or we can help you name your new company. Since you are already somewhat established in your community, the transition and growth from one person (yourself) tutoring to an unlimited amount of tutors helping you should be fairly easy. You can also increase the geographical area you want to service because you will no longer be doing all the tutoring.

Is HTB a franchise or MLM?

No, we are neither. We provide you a complete business plan with step-by-step instructions on how to begin and maintain your business. You never pay us any royalties or additional fees outside of your one-time payment for the HTB manual and package. We are continuously adding materials to enhance your business; however you are under no obligation to purchase anything other than the initial package you ordered.

How does the price compare to buying a franchise?

Our full-service package costs less than half of what you would pay for a national franchise with no on-going royalties or additional advertising fees.

What is the advantage of buying an HTB instead of a franchise?

You are not signing a contract with anyone. You will spend a lot less money buying our manual and package. Your one-time investment will give you everything you need, including camera-ready ad copy, Yellow Page ads, suggestions for your company name and logo, your own website and support and consultation to get you up and running. You have the freedom to develop your business without having to follow a specific formula. We give you suggestions and examples of what works and what doesn’t so you know how to best utilize your time and money. There is no “catch”. You are buying practical information you can use immediately and many tangible items to make your business successful.

If I have questions, what kind of support and guidance is available?

We are happy to provide you support, mentoring and guidance via email or phone communication.  You are bound to have questions as you embark on your new venture and we are here to assist you.  Whether it’s a basic question you may have or a new idea you just want to bounce off of us, we are here for you. When you purchase an HTB Package you receive three (3) hours of telephone support and or email communication.   

Do I need to rent or lease office space?

No! HTB is a home-based business. All you need to get started is a desk, dedicated business phone line, fax, computer, access to the internet and printer.

How many hours a week will I have to work?

This business can be run part-time or full-time. Some people choose to build their clientele slowly and devote only three or four hours a day, Monday through Friday to their business. Others want to produce revenue immediately and devote eight hours a day to establishing their new company and work some weekend hours. It’s really up to you how much time you want to invest and what fits best with your lifestyle.

Where does the tutoring take place?

All of the tutoring is done in the privacy of the child’s home. Clients love the convenience of this service because they do not have to drive anywhere to have their children tutored. Kids love it because there is no peer pressure to perform. They are in the comfort of their own home with the undivided attention of a dedicated teacher/tutor.

Are tutors employees or independent contractors?

All of my tutors are independent contractors. We provide you with the appropriate paperwork and information as it relates to working with independent contracts versus employees. However, you make the ultimate decision as to how you will classify your tutors.

Is there any formal certification required for tutors?

Since the tutoring industry is not regulated by the Federal Government, tutors are not required to be “certified”. However, to add integrity and credibility to your tutoring company, you should check out Crossroads To Learning at http://www.crossroadsoflearning.com. They offer a variety of different training programs for tutors at very reasonable prices.

Why would a tutor want to contract with an HTB?

Many tutors do not want to have the expense of advertising for students. They also appreciate working with families that have signed a tutoring contract and have been “pre-screened” by you. The tutoring is consistent (we suggest at least one hour a week per subject per student) and they can pick and choose their clients and make their own schedules based on how far they want to travel and what subjects and grades they can tutor. Tutors love the flexibility and the constant stream of business being offered to them.

Why would a family consider using an in-home tutoring service instead of a national learning center?

Our experience has been that children learn better from individualized, private instruction. One does not get that at a busy learning center. You will be taking the time to get to know the student and family and matching them with a tutor who can help them with their academic needs and match personalities and learning styles. This one-on-one attention is effective and offers parents the convenience of not having to drive their children anywhere to get quality, individualized tutoring.

Does HTB provide a curriculum for their students?

No we do not provide a curriculum. Your tutors will be tutoring from your clients’ school curriculum. Textbooks, worksheets, projects, homework packets, etc. must be brought home for every tutoring session.


Why does HTB recommend accepting credit cards from clients?

Your clients will love the convenience of just handing you their credit card at the consultation. By signing your credit card agreement, you will have the right to charge their card bi-weekly or monthly. You can charge a client’s card online via the “virtual terminal” set up on your PC. You don’t need a dedicated phone line, a credit card machine or any forms to take credit cards. Taking credit cards will increase your revenue dramatically!

Do I have a limited territory?

Since HTB is not a franchise, there is no geographical or population limits to the area you choose to service. The bigger the area, the more revenue you will make.

What forms of payment do you accept for the packages?

We accept a bank or cashier’s check made out to Home Tutoring Business.  You can also wire your funds directly to our account. Please call us for the account number. We also gladly accept Visa, Master Card and American Express.  Regardless of how you pay for your package, please keep in mind we charge a shipping and handling fee.  If you are a California resident, we charge California State Tax and County Tax, where applicable. 

Do I need to purchase an accounting program like Quick Books in order to run your Customized Accounting Software?

No, you do not need to invest in any off-the-shelf accounting programs. Our program, called Accounting Tools For Tutors is one product, designed to handle not only your business accounting transactions, but all of your company information, too, such as your tutor and client invoicing.  Our program is web-based, which means you will have access to all of your company information anywhere there is internet access.